silence shared in words
presents
If Somebody Creates Anger in You
Gurdjieff's father was dying.
His last words to Gurdjieff
are immensely significant;
perhaps no father has ever advised a son
with such a great insight.
And Gurdjieff was only nine years old,
so his father said, "I know you may not be able to understand right now what I am saying,
but I have no more time,
I have to say it now.
But you have time -- just remember the words.
Whenever you have
enough maturity to understand what these words mean,
then act on these words.
But don't forget remember, it is a simple sentence."
He told Gurdjieff to repeat the sentence three times,
so he could die peacefully.
And he said, "Forgive me because I am not leaving any inheritance to you
except this sentence."
And what was the sentence? a very simple sentence.
He said:
"Remember,
if somebody
creates anger in you,
tell the person you will come back after twenty-four hours to answer him.
For twenty-four hours, wait;
and after twenty-four hours,
whatever comes to you, go and do."
Strange advice,
but not strange if you understand.
And this simple advice changed Gurdjieff's whole life.
This single sentence
made
a man like George Gurdjieff
and that kind of man is created only after centuries.
But the old man must have been a man of great insight.
He left nothing else;
he said to his son, "Now you will have to look after yourself.
Your mother is dead,
I am dying.
You will have to earn your bread. You will have to learn things on your own."
A nine-year-old child...
but this
became
a great opportunity for Gurdjieff,
because he started moving around with nomads.
Gurdjieff was born near the Caucasus in Russia
still there are nomads,
wandering tribes.
Even sixty years of communist torture
has not been able
to settle those nomads,
because they consider wandering to be man's birthright,
and perhaps they are right.
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